This invention relates to aircraft propeller deicing systems and more particularly to a propeller deicer which is bonded to the propeller blade and has electricity supplied to the deicer for conversion to heat to remove ice that is formed on the blades.
Various deicer heating means have been tried on propeller blades to remove the ice on the propeller blades wherein heat was supplied periodically to conserve the power supply on such aircraft. The deicer heating devices employed intricately wound resistance wires which were attached to or molded into flexible rubber sheets or pads for attachment to the leading edges of the propeller blades. The life of such heaters were limited by abrasion. The deicer pad would become questionable for use if there were punctures of the pad since the serviceability would depend on the integrity of the intricately wound wire strands. The present invention provides a deicer pad that is considerably more durable and serviceable from the standpoint of abrasion and puncture resistant. In addition the present invention provides a deicer pad that provides a gradient type of heat distribution onto the propeller blade which more efficiently and effectively removes the ice that is formed on the blades.